‘Witness’ is a world premiere play written by Tanzanian actor and film director, Martin Mhando, in conjunction with Murdoch University senior lecturer, David Moody who is also an actor and director. This presentation by the Ujamaa Productions (the Swahili word for ‘collective brotherhood’) is showing at the Blue Room main theatre at 53 James Street, Northbridge nightly at 7.00 pm until 22^nd May.

        It is Africa, and we weave our way through the mountains of shoes and boots which have been retained when their owners, being worth much less, have been brutally killed. We are led into a room where a black man (Martin Mhando) and his white friend (David Moody) are playing ‘flip the coin’, naturally it comes down ‘heads’ every time, as the black man is always the looser. After a period of enjoying each other’s company, the police arrive and the black man is led away for fraternising with the superior whites and the white man for being a ‘nigger-lover’.

        The black man has witnessed the appalling crimes of the black activists. Later, with dread and dismay, he relates his memories of the atrocious deeds and their resultant victims, to the African Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s white, investigative reporter (Lesley-Anne Philps). She replays her reel-to-reel tape recorder, which recalls a history of decades of torture and trauma.

        We see how prisoners over the years have managed to retain their sanity by various means, from transferring their emotions, through to very dark humour. For both the winners and the losers these events do not simply disappear with an apology, in fact, does the word ‘Sorry’ as a token of reconciliation really mean anything to the victims?

Director Serge Tampalini, Murdoch’s Chair of English, has never been known to turn down a challenging play. In 2008, his ‘Gertrude the Cry’ set the bar at a new height for future Blue Room productions, the resulting quality since has been noticeably more mature and mature.

‘Witness’ doesn’t only cover the suffering in Africa, but these talented actors play out numerous situations throughout the world. The Gadaffi and Pinochet regimes, Mandela’s struggle, the holocaust and the stolen generation are all there, as the scene shifts seamlessly from one plight to another.

Serge Tampalini’s simple set consisting of piles of footwear, constantly reminds the audience of the missing millions. The background wall is a collection of clothes and skins of the dead. Onto this wall are projected photos and films of various atrocities, which in conjunction with the eerie sound effects, tribal music and dim, moody lighting (Aleesha Green) retain the atmosphere throughout.

To be appreciated fully, this beautifully structured and scripted play requires a certain amount of prior historical knowledge. The play’s 60-minutes are heavy going, but admirable. This reminds you that theatre was originally as much a messenger, or newspaper of the day, as it was entertainment. Some may find this plain boring, but for others who are interested in the struggles and suffering of the past – and in Africa, the present – they will be amazed at the cruelty of man to his brothers. The programme’s picture shows a neural synapse, posing the question, will the blacks and the whites ever become a synapse with an effective junction?

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